Getting Punched Hurts Like Hell
by hardwired
Summary: Heero gets a little help coming to his senses. 1x2. First fic after a decade of fangirling, so please bear with me. One shot.


The first time I realized that I was in love with Duo Maxwell, it hurt a lot.

"You cocky bastard!" he yelled, pushing ineffectually against a barrier of Trowa, Wufei and Quatre. It wasn't really necessary to insult me, he'd gotten his point across when he slammed his fist into my face so hard that I hit the deck. It had been two years since we'd destroyed our Gundams, but I wasn't out of practice, so I was slightly shell-shocked that loudmouth Duo could deal me such a blow. Blood streamed from my nose, splattering my shirt; maybe it was broken.

"Get a hold of yourself, Maxwell!" Wufei was shouting.

"I think you broke his nose," Quatre said plainly. His tone spoke volumes about who's side he was really on, even if he was holding Duo back.

At that moment, I couldn't say anything. I just stared, utterly confused, into Duo's angry eyes. Sometimes, his bright blue eyes got dark, almost black. I'd never wondered why, but now I realized that it happened when he was angry. It was just too hard to know when he was being serious, behind the jokes he continuously tossed out. Now I realized that I should have known. If I had, I would have never lost my temper and insulted him. For the first time, as I looked into his eyes, I began to understand. His lips pursed, he stared back at me, and at the blood covering my face.

"You're not any better than the rest of us," he barked, wrenching himself free so he could stalk off in the other direction.

"Duo!" Quatre ran after his friend. Trowa and Wufei looked after them for a moment before turning back to me.

"I can't believe Maxwell defeated you," Wufei said, seeming impressed.

"Heero, what the hell did you say to him?" Trowa asked. I wiped some of the blood away from my mouth.

"I called him a coward," I answered, wondering if they could hear the regret in my voice.

"Baka," Wufei scoffed.

"Why would you say something like that?" Trowa asked, taken aback. I paused, suddenly realizing the gravity of what had just happened.

"I lost my temper," I slowly answered.

"You what?" they asked in nearly comic unison. They were both gaping at me, and I couldn't blame them. Self-control was just not something I'd ever had to worry about. Even before all Doctor J's training, I couldn't remember losing my temper even once, no matter how angry I was.

"Well that idiot could make anyone lose it," Wufei suddenly joked unconvincingly when I didn't answer. Trowa gave him a disapproving look.

"What did he do to make you so angry?" he asked.

I was wondering that too. It had been something about Duo's personal life, and I'm not sure why I even decided to poke my head in, since I usually tried to avoid it. Of course, he always seemed to want to tell me strange things and ask for advice when it was just the two of us. I'm not sure why he would think I was qualified to give advice about his domestic situations. He hadn't listened to me the first four times I'd told him to stop being so hot-headed, so what was the point in saying it again? He acted impulsively, placing himself in bad situations with crazy people and ended up getting jerked around half the time because he was either too nice or too naive to say no. His personal life was like a bad sitcom in syndication; I felt like I'd seen every episode already but the remote was broken so I just had to sit there and wait until the next show came on.

This time, though, something had really pushed me over the edge. He was telling me about Hilde, how they'd gotten back together for the millionth time and were living together in a situation much akin to domestic bliss. She'd even gotten herself transfered, further than she'd ever gotten before leaving and sending Duo back to his bad situations with crazy people. But, instead of being thrilled about it, as he should have been, Duo was getting nervous, that maybe things were moving too fast.

That's right, he'd whined right in my ear while I was writing up the paperwork for our next mission. I was in the middle of signing my name...

"My pen snapped," I finally answered Trowa, "Ink spilled all over my paperwork."

"Duo snapped your pen?" Trowa asked.

"No, I broke the pen, he just provoked me," I answered.

"Provoked you? What did he say, Yuy?" Wufei asked with mild exasperation.

"He asked me if he should break up with Hilde," I said.

"Eh?" They both intoned, once again in comic unison.

"I'm not going to say any more," I said, looking at my hand to see if my nose had stopped bleeding--it hadn't. "I deserved this, so I won't say another thing. Please excuse me, I'm going to visit the physician." I brushed past them before they could stop me, but neither Trowa nor Wufei even called out.

* * *

'You're naive and foolish. Happiness is staring you in the face and you're too afraid to reach out and grasp it. Whine to someone else. Sitting here and listening to you bitch and moan is a waste of my time. You're just a coward.'

My own, characteristically blunt yet uncharacteristically cruel words were on replay in my mind as I sat in the empty physician's office, holding my still bleeding, furiously painful nose as I waited for an attendant. I looked at my watch. I'd been sitting in this uncomfortable plastic chair for nearly ten minutes. I was tired of bleeding.

"Heero!" Sally Po had rounded the corner in a rush, and I'd seemed to have given her a start. "What are you doing here--oh my, you're bleeding!"

"It's a long story. Do you know where the doctor is?"

"He had a family emergency and had to leave. I came down to look after the office for him, but I didn't expect to have such a VIP patient. Come in here, I'll take a look for you." I followed her obediently into the examining room. She snapped a pair of latex gloves on and pulled a light over as I sat on the bed. She positioned the light to burn into my eyes, but I ignored it and dropped my hand as she leaned in for a closer look. It reminded me of the first time she'd examined me, when Duo had come to my "rescue".

"Tch," she grimaced, "It's definitely broken. I can set it for you but it's going to hurt." I raised an eyebrow at her. "Right, forgot who I was talking to for a second." She moved the lamp away so she could position herself correctly in front of me. I'd had plenty of broken bones, but never my nose. For a moment I was curious as to wether or not I'd look different, but that was before Sally put her fingers on my throbbing nose and realigned it with a snapping sound that should have been reserved for tupperware lids. I swallowed at the searing pain, but otherwise kept my cool.

"You okay?" Sally asked.

"I just have one thing to say," I answered with a sigh.

"Yeah?"

"Getting punched hurts like hell."

"Yeah, next time duck," she laughed, "Although I am curious as to who managed to nail you such a good one."

"I'm curious, who do you think could?" Lately, it seemed essential to actually figure out what the people around me were thinking. Being a Preventer wasn't all about missions, or the things I was good at. As it turned out, Lady Une required everyone to shoulder their own share of the office work, which meant daily human interaction without harming or disabling anyone.

Sally seemed to seriously stop and think about it before answering. "Well," she started, "I guess it should be one of the other four. Wufei has the temper of course, but a punch in the nose isn't his style... Not Quatre, or Trowa. But what would you have done to provoke Duo? He's never hit you in earnest before. Or did you piss off Lady Une?"

I hopped off the table. My nose had stopped bleeding, so I was satisfied. "Now that I think of it, Wufei will probably tell you later." She blushed at that, and I smiled, something I'd learned to do recently. "Ja ne."

* * *

"Just go home, would you? You look pathetic." I had my head in my hands, sitting at my desk. Lately, it was the position I thought in, since I'd found out all the junior agents thought I looked scary that way and wouldn't bother me. Slowly, I looked up at Quatre, leaning in the doorway. His expression was soft, as usual. He wasn't the kind of person it was easy to disagree with. He was too perceptive and too kind.

I knew he disapproved of what I'd said, that Duo was his best friend. But, it was also obvious that he understood how confused I was, that there was no point in lecturing me because I already knew I'd done something wrong.

"Quatre..."

"All the juniors are scared of you as it is. They won't come within twenty feet of you when you're sitting like that. You could've at least washed your face." At some point, his caring qualities had taken on a motherly edge. He chided like a pro.

"To be honest, I didn't even think about it." I absently reached up to feel the crusty, dried and flaking blood around my mouth and nose. There was quite a bit on my hands, and some on my white oxford. I probably looked gruesome.

"You should've known better," he smiled.

"How do you mean?" I asked.

"Only that guy can blindside you. It's almost like, when it's Duo you just forget to put your armor on." His words always cut to the quick when he was giving advice. I usually didn't ask for it, so I found it somewhat unsettling.

"I hung my armor up years ago, Quatre," I answered, standing and taking my jacket from the back of my desk chair.

"You'll get it," he said, already walking off, having said his piece.

I checked the office and locked the door behind me as I followed him out. Everyone else had gone home for the night, and it was blissfully silent in the hallway. I paused to fling my coat over my shoulder, and left.

* * *

Duo came back to work the next day, and turned in his resignation. I was fortunate enough to be walking by Lady Une's open door at the time, and glanced in. The look on her face made me stop, and then when I saw Duo's back, without the usual layer of blue Preventer jacket fabric, I felt I had to know what was going on, so I waited outside.

She wasn't happy, that much was obvious. Duo seemed his usual cheerfully sarcastic self. She asked him why, and he told her he was getting married. He was going back to the salvage business. Owning the salvage yard but not being able to manage it properly was driving him crazy, he said. He and Hilde wanted to make it work.

I didn't know what to think. Rarely did I not know what to think, but at that moment, eavesdropping outside, I just didn't know. I wondered if I was just shocked that he'd finally taken my advice. I stood there waiting for so long that, the next thing I knew, Duo was walking out of the office, noticing me, and stopping.

"Heero!" He said, surprised. I guess eavesdropping was a bit less direct than my usual.

"Hi," I said lamely.

"So, uh, how long've you been standing there?" he asked.

"Not long," I lied. I didn't like to lie either. What was I doing?

"Right, you definitely heard me, you liar. I can see it in your eyes." He seemed amused rather than angry.

"Caught," I shrugged.

"Yeah I can read you like a book, man," he grinned that infuriatingly cocky grin, and I realized I was mad again. But, recognizing it made me calm down a little. There was a long pause before I knew exactly what I should say.

"I--"

"Sorry about yesterday," he interrupted me, his expression sheepish. "I got kinda outta hand--"

"It was my fault. Please don't apologize. I deserved it," I stopped him. His apology was just making me feel worse. He seemed to hesitate before replying.

"Sorry, I... you know. Bugged you so much about things, you know. Constantly bitching to you. I didn't mean to... you know..." he scratched his head and looked away anxiously.

"No," I said simply. He looked back at me. "No," I said again, "If you apologize, I feel worse. If it had really bothered me, I would have told you to begin with. Honestly, I don't know why I said those things. I just lost my temper."

He whistled appreciatively. "Lost your... temper, hm?" I ignored him.

"I regret my words. I'm sorry. A broken nose was the least that I deserved. I wouldn't stop you from hitting me again." His eyes were slightly wider, his grin gone.

"Hey, Heero, you're really serious," he said.

"'There's something else I want you to do for me,'" I couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth, or the smile from forming on my lips. He scoffed.

"Don't remind me of that. Then I'll really want to hit you," he joked.

"I am serious, though," I said. "I won't move." He stared at me, his expression uncertain. When his fist came towards my face, I kept my promise and stayed stock still, but, it never connected. He dropped his hand.

"You're my best friend, idiot, why would I want to hit you?" He gave a derisive snort and turned away. "Later!" I watched him walk off, any of the words I might have wanted to say sticking in my throat.

* * *

Lately, I kept catching myself in distracted thought. Trowa took over Duo's office no more than a week after he turned in his resignation. It was across the hall from mine, so I could stare at the empty chair and empty desk. I don't know what kind of acrobatics Trowa was performing to escape from all the paperwork the rest of us spent so much time on. Maybe that particular office was just doomed to emptiness. After all, even when it had been decorated with a colorful array of Duo's memorabilia, he'd spent most of his time encroaching on my office, doing his own paperwork opposite me on my desk. Since we were partners, I'd thought it just made sense.

On that note, I was everlastingly thankful that Lady Une hadn't assigned me another partner, and didn't seem to have any intention of doing so. If it weren't for the fact that Duo forced himself on me, I would have never had a partner to begin with. But, I'd grown so used to having him around that I found myself looking up to ask him questions when he wasn't there, and wondered if that was unhealthy. In the cafeteria, I caught Quatre staring over at me as though he could see right into my soul, but he never asked me about the strange things he might have seen there. Maybe he could see that I wouldn't answer him if he did.

I was assigned to two colonial stealth missions in one month. Both were successful, and both were unexpectedly boring.

Once again at my desk, writing my report about the second mission, I was feeling unbelievably unsatisfied. I dropped my pen, and leaned back in my chair with a sigh.

"Sugoi da ne..." I closed my eyes and wondered if I really wanted to live this way for the rest of my life.

"'If you're unhappy, you're doing something wrong.'" I didn't open my eyes at Trowa's words, coming from the doorway of my office. His feet barely ever made a sound coming down the hallway, though his intention was never to startle anyone.

"Something Confucius said?" I asked.

"Something Quatre said," he answered. I opened my eyes. He wasn't looking at me, he was inspecting the doorjam. His bangs covered most of his face, but he appeared to be smiling.

"Are you happy, Trowa?" I found myself asking. He finally turned to look at me.

"More than I ever thought possible," he said. "Are you?"

I stared back at him. We'd always understood each other well enough that we barely needed words, so there was no point in beating around the bush.

"What am I doing wrong?" I asked. His smile broadened, and it occurred to me that this was the first time I'd really seen him smile so genuinely.

"You're not doing anything," he said. Then, as usual, he turned and walked away.

Leaning back in my chair, alone in my office, it was easy to agree with him.

* * *

To distract myself, I started to go jogging in the morning before work, and whenever I had free time. I jogged around the park near my apartment, and, on days when I was lucky, I was able to watch a local group doing tai chi on the flat grass beside the pond. A small bridge on the path gave me a perfect vantage point from which I could pause and watch the twenty or so people of all different ages and shapes moving in slow, hypnotic unison. They usually practiced around 7 am, when the morning sun was at its most glorious, before regular park goers were out. I just found it relaxing, so I never expected such a simple morning ritual to change my life.

It was six forty-five. I stopped at the bridge, where I usually paused to check my watch. Looking out over the lawn, I could see the tai chi group just beginning to gather, a few people yawning and saying their good mornings to one another. Three people usually took turns leading the group, deciding amongst themselves with an amusing game of rock-paper-scissors. The playfulness of the three masters seemed to keep the rest of the group lively and awake. By the time they'd chosen their leader, an old man with a classic stoop, it was almost seven fifteen, and everyone else was formed up, waiting for the flow to begin. The other two masters joined the group, and the leader bowed to them before turning to take his position in front. But, as he stepped forward, he was bowled over by a cannonball of dirty blond fur.

The entire group lost its cohesion as the scrappy dog barked and darted around each of them, and they scattered in surprise. There were shrieks and yells as it jumped on some of them excitedly, until finally someone kicked it away.

Somehow, I felt like I should do something, and had jogged over to them before I knew it. The dog looked like a golden retriever, just a puppy. He was cowering a bit after being struck, and a few of the group members had gone towards him in sympathy, only to be growled at and back away. He had no collar, and was thin and scrappy, a stray by all indications. Such things were rare now a days, even in big cities, so it was easy to see why no one was quite sure how to handle him. I'd never had a dog before, so I guess what I did was just instinct.

It was obvious to me that he was afraid. His eyes moved intelligently, not rabid at all. I crouched in front of him, and moved forward slowly, extending my hand.

"It's okay," I said, automatically soothing, "I'm not going to hurt you. Daijobu dakara, shinpai shinaide..." The dog growled as I got closer, but I ignored him. My hand was almost on his nose when he turned to bite me. Fortunately, I was me, and I had him by the scruff before he could do any damage. He snarled and tried to writhe free but I held him down as gently as I could.

"Quit it," I said, "I'm not going to hurt you, but you're not going to hurt me either. Calm down, you little demon." As I stroked his dirty fur with my free hand, he eventually began to relax. His eyes shifted from me, and I turned to see the old man crouching down next to me.

"Sorry," I said, though I'm not sure why.

"He's yours," the master said.

"No, actually, I was just jogging nearby," I explained. The old man turned to me, an eyebrow raised.

"No idiot," he said, "Obviously, after this, he's yours. Just look at him."

I looked back down at the dog and realized that I wasn't even holding him down anymore, he was just laying in submission to me, looking up at us.

"Hey, whoever it was that kicked this poor man's dog should come up and apologize," the old master called to his students. It was a few moments before the man who'd done the kicking came up beside us, looking guilty.

"Sorry," he said quietly to me.

"Sure," I answered slowly. If this was really my dog, wouldn't I be the one apologizing for letting him go crazy like that? The old man coughed, and I turned to look at him.

"If you don't mind," he said, "We were about to start a class."

"Right, sorry," I said, slowly releasing the dog so I could stand. He rolled back over and stood with me, his tail wagging jovially once again as he looked up at me expectantly.

"Well, come on, I guess," I said, awkwardly patting my leg as I walked away. He followed me willingly. A few of the group members called their thanks as I walked out of the park with my new friend.

* * *

"Have you picked a name for him yet?" Quatre asked, crouched down in the corner of my office, trying to teach the now clean dog how to shake hands without much success.

"He seems to answer to Akuma," I replied as I stapled something. The little demon had been with me for almost a week now. The first time I left him alone in my apartment, he destroyed everything worth value in one way or another. It seemed like, as long as I didn't leave him alone, and took him everywhere I went, he was as obedient as I could want. Yeah, he was so damn spoiled I could barely stand it.

"That's terrible! You can't keep calling such a cute dog something like that," Quatre scolded. Akuma gave him a playful lick in response.

"You don't know him like I do," I answered with a sigh.

"Good boy," Quatre praised, patting the dog on the head before leaving the corner to sit across from me at the desk. "Speaking of which, have you gotten your invitation yet?" he asked. My jaw clenched automatically and I fought not to roll my eyes in irritation.

"Four days ago," I answered shortly.

"I'm kind of amazed that things have moved so quickly," he chatted, "Actually, I'm just amazed that they moved at all. Maybe it was good for you to say those things after all."

"Don't remind me," I said.

"But he took your advice, didn't he?" Quatre said, leaning forward on the desk. I eyeballed him, and he stared back unflinchingly. I knew where this was going, and I had no intention of being baited.

I dropped the last of my paperwork on the top of the stack, and fished Akuma's leash out of my desk drawer, standing to walk over to the corner.

"Duo and Hilde have been through their ups-and-downs, it's about time they made it official. Some people might have seen it coming since they first met," I said. I clipped the leash on Akuma's bright red collar, and he stood with me as I went back to grab my jacket off the back of my chair.

"Right, and who would those people be again?" Quatre asked, standing at my indication that I wanted to close the office. He had been at an all-time snark lately. I pushed him into the hall in front of me as I locked and shut the door behind us.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I said, turning my back on him.

"Hey!" he called, so I turned back.

"What?"

"Next Wednesday at 5pm, be over at my house," he commanded with a grin.

"Why?" I asked.

"Hey, I'm the best man so just shut up and do what I say," he ordered.

"Quatre..." I sighed.

"Ja ne!" he replied mockingly, turning away before I could object.

I looked down at Akuma, who cocked his head at me curiously. I sighed again.

"It's the bachelor party," I explained. He whined. "Exactly," I replied.

* * *

I hesitated under the awning above Quatre's front door. It was a solid thing, maybe oak, with a large round window near the top and an ornate bronze handle and lock--the kind of door that you barely ever saw any more; they were just too expensive. The rest of the house was fairly ordinary, if a bit large. Quatre had expensive yet humble taste, a sparring match between his upbringing and his personality.

This was the first time I'd been to Quatre's house without the customary car and escort coming to retrieve me. My bike--a monstrous antique Suzuki with a modern engine, which I'd had imported from L1--was parked in shadow against the house, removed from the cars in Quatre's driveway. The winter sun was beginning to set behind the house, and I adjusted the collar of my black leather coat anxiously.

Getting dressed earlier, I'd had a hell of a time deciding what to wear. I didn't get out much, so it was instinctual for me to just slap on a pair of jeans and a black oxford. Just before leaving, I'd caught myself in the mirror and realized that I looked like I was either going to a funeral or going to work. Either was bad, so I retreated back to my room to find something with which I could easily upgrade myself. On my dresser, I spotted the cufflinks I'd worn to Dorothy Catalonia's wedding (a set of crossed swords, appropriately enough). It had been over a year, so I considered it safe to wear them again, and slipped them on. Looking in the mirror again, this was clearly not enough. There was a red cashmere scarf hanging on the headboard of my bed, something Wufei had given me, strangely enough. He'd surprised everyone with unusual presents like this one day, after which we discovered that Sally had finally agreed to go to dinner with him. I curled it around my neck. It added color perfectly, and I nodded to my reflection. As I turned to leave, my eye caught on the ruby stud earring taped to the mirror. It was something Duo had bought me spontaneously when we were on a mission in Milan. Of course, then he'd forced me to get my ear pierced just so I could accept it. I peeled the tape away from the mirror, and caught it as it fell, considering it for a moment before putting it on. I looked at my reflection again, and wondered if I had ever looked this good.

With a sigh, I finally raised my hand to knock--it was getting too cold out here to wait much longer. But, as my fist fell, I heard footsteps running toward the door from inside, and stepped back just in time for the door to swing open and Duo to rush out. He hurriedly shut the door behind him, his braid slapping him on the back as his head snapped around, noticing me.

"Heero!" he said in surprise.

"Hi," I answered. We hadn't even spoken since he left, almost a month ago. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish. It was unusual for him not to know what to say, so I cocked an eyebrow in question. A roar of collected laughter came from inside the house, and he suddenly grabbed my arm, seeming panicked.

"Get me the hell out of here," he begged.

"Duo, it's your bachelor party," I reminded him.

"No, it's an abomination, a den of sin, a treacherous pit of debauchery. Help me!" he squeaked. I hesitated, unsure of what I should do. I could see his car in the driveway, others parked behind him, blocking his escape.

"Spandex!" he pleaded.

"Hey--" I objected, but stopped when I saw his horrified expression. "Fine, come on," I assented, grabbing him roughly by the elbow to pull him toward my bike. I released him to retrieve it from its perch and roll it towards the pavement. The bike had a large back seat, but I only had one helmet. Oh well, I hated wearing that thing anyway.

"Here," I said, handing it to him and motioning for him to follow me to the street.

"I had no idea you had something like this!" He said in awe.

"Really?" I grunted.

"I guess it wouldn't really be practical for work purposes, and your apartment is only a few blocks from headquarters..." he was inspecting the bike, seeming impressed. "This engine--"

"Duo," I interrupted him, zipping my jacket back up. His own jacket was just simple green canvas. I would have traded him if he wasn't so much larger than I was. He looked up at me, and I nodded toward Quatre's house. They would notice he was gone before long.

"Right," he said, pulling the helmet on and fastening the strap under his chin. I kicked the bike to life and he clambered on behind me.

"Where do you want to go?" I called. He seemed to stop and think before answering.

"I don't know. A bar or something would be fine," he called back.

"Got it," I answered, "Hang on." I hit the gas with just enough time for his hands to find purchase on my jacket pockets, and we were off into the night.

* * *

"I guess I can see how that would be tough," I said in amusement, taking a sip of my beer. Duo had been drinking sake, warm sake, and I wondered if the arrangement wasn't ironic.

"Well, to some extent it's easier because you can enjoy yourself more because there's no guilt involved. It doesn't seem so...lecherous. But, maybe that's what makes it less fun in the end..." He was looking up in contemplation, tapping his chin with his sake cup. I laughed.

"I guess once you've dated a stripper it takes some of the excitement out of the performance," I sympathized.

"Exactly!" he agreed enthusiastically, waving a hand in my direction. Most everyone else had left the pub, we'd been drinking for so long, and the barkeep was kindly ignoring us as he cleaned. "That's what I mean. I mean, Rosemary was the most... practical woman I ever dated. I mean, the whole time that chick was writhing around, I was just thinking how hard those shoes were going to be on her back later in life." He laughed, shaking his head as if in awe. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Heero. I mean, who runs away from his own bachelor party?"

"I don't think I'm really the right one to answer that question. If someone surprised me with a stripper at my bachelor party I'd probably break their fingers," I couldn't help but grinning at the idea. Lately, I felt like breaking bones would be a lot of fun, and I was relaxed enough to admit it.

"Yeah, you might want to reign yourself in on the violent thoughts there," he suggested. I laughed.

"Laughter from Spandex," he whistled appreciatively, "I haven't heard that in a while."

"There's not much to laugh about," I said before I could stop myself. It was silent for a moment as we both processed my words.

"Heero--"

"Don't," I interrupted him, "Don't worry about it. I just got this dog, and he's been tearing up my apartment. I came home the other day and he'd destroyed every pillow he could find, just the pillows, and there was down covering every inch of the carpet."

"A dog, eh?" He was turning the sake bottle in circles on the table, and watching it go around.

"Yeah, just kind of happened, really..." I wiped the condensation off my bottle absently.

"How's work?" he asked. I looked up to find him staring at me again. He couldn't have known just how serious he looked. If he did, he would have never shown it. If they knew how much he loved being a Preventer, none of the others would have let him resign. Of course, I knew, but I didn't want to fight with him about it.

'I hate it,' I wanted to say, 'I hate working in that stupid office, with all the newcomers gawking at me from the doorway, Quatre staring accusingly at me in the cafeteria, Trowa giving me cryptic advice, and Wufei and Sally oozing love and happiness all over the place without even realizing it.' But, I was too stubborn to admit any of that, and he was staring at me expectantly.

"Boring," I said instead, which was also true.

"Really?" he prodded.

"Yeah, since you're not there I have to do twice as much paperwork. I think Une's bad side is out to get me." I picked at the edge of the label on my now empty beer bottle.

"Didn't she assign you another partner?" he asked like this was just a natural assumption. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Why would she do that?" I asked.

"Well, I just assumed..."

"I don't know. Maybe she knew it would be like throwing a lamb into a lions cage. Honestly, who could she assign who could actually keep up with me like you do?" I sighed. "I don't want to be partnered with some idiot."

"Heero..." When I looked up, I realized I might have said too much. He was staring at me, looking moderately dumbfounded. He opened his mouth to say something else, but I was saved by the barman, who ambled over to our table to interrupt.

"Sorry guys, we're closin' up," he said gruffly through his bushy black mustache as he reached across the table to take our bottles and glasses.

"Thanks," I answered, dropping some bills on the table as Duo and I stood.

"Congratulations on your marriage," he said to Duo, shifting his load so he could offer his hand. Duo took it and gave him a firm handshake.

"Thanks, man," he said with a grin.

"You guys work hard," he said with finality, "Have a good night."

"Night," we said in unison, shrugging our coats on and moving toward the exit.

The door locked behind us, and we were left standing on the sidewalk in the freezing night. Duo was hardly prepared for it, and started rubbing his arms immediately. I hadn't put Wufei's scarf on yet, and pressed it into his hands.

"Oh no, that's okay--" he objected.

"Shut up and put it on," I said, giving him a look that meant I wouldn't take no for an answer. As he slowly wrapped it around his neck, I went to get the bike. Maybe a motorcycle wasn't practical in Winter, but, well, it was me. It took a minute to get it started and warmed up, and Duo stood by, waiting silently. I scratched at my ear, where the stud was even colder than my cold flesh.

"Is that--" Duo started. I revved the bike to interrupt him.

I grunted, motioning for him to shut up and get on the bike. He pulled on the helmet and obediently clambered on, immediately wrapping his arms securely around my waste. He was a quick learner, if nothing else. I tried to ignore the fact that he was also being unusually compliant.

I sped the whole way back to the salvage yard. It was across town, but I didn't mind taking a drive like this--I loved the way the streets looked after midnight. The city was almost desolate, the aurora borealis of smog perforated by a million street lamps like strings of christmas lights. For all intents and purposes, we were all alone in the world, flying freely through the night. My mind was clear with the thrill of it.

I came to a rolling stop at the chain-link fence enclosing the salvage yard. This one was only about half the size of the one he and Hilde had managed on L2 just after the war, but it still took up the space of a couple of big houses. A massive sign stretched across the fence, white with bold black letters announced it as "Sweeper Salvage".

"It'll be 'Maxwell Salvage' soon," Duo said evenly over the bike's engine. I turned to look at him, but he was climbing off the bike, pulling the helmet over his head and handing it back to me before I could think of anything to say. He ruffled his bangs and I smiled inside at his unconscious vanity.

"Thanks for the ride," he said, handing my helmet back. I tucked it under my arm.

"Sure."

"Thanks for saving me from the debauchery," he added. I shrugged.

"Any time."

"And, just, thanks... you know?" He scratched his head, glancing away. "I mean, for being around--"

"Do ittashimashite, baka," I grinned, reluctantly pulling the helmet on before revving the bike's engine. "I'll see you on Saturday!" I called, pulling away before either of us could say anything else.

* * *

Two days later, I was standing in front of the mirror again, gingerly sliding into the jacket of my new black suit, and trying to look at least the littlest bit pleased. The best I could get was an expression of satisfaction at my own good looks. It might have been my vanity, but this jacket was tailored perfectly to my physique, which was practically perfect itself. I wasn't tall or broad-shouldered, but I was built like rock--the kind that could run a mile in under five minutes. Akuma was on the bed, watching me and looking unconvinced.

My phone rang in the other room for the hundredth time today. After the fifth call I'd stopped answering. Prevention didn't seem to understand what it meant to have the day off, Wufei especially. I couldn't blame them, since I'd never taken one until today, if you didn't include a few days spent AWOL early on in my career, before my rebelliousness had mellowed. However, I didn't see any way of explaining that if I did go into work I would probably kill someone. Today I just felt like all my patience had run out, and it was one virtue I needed to save up for tomorrow.

Thinking of that had me peeling off the jacket and hanging it back up. For a second there, I'd forgotten that today all I should be doing was as little as possible. Not working, not killing people, and definitely not thinking about anything.

I sat back on my bed and reached over to pet Akuma. Thankfully, he was being good today. He licked my hand and I smiled. It was nice to have someone to love.

The doorbell rang, and I stood with a groan. I glanced down at my wrinkled white tshirt and striped pajama pants and decided I didn't care enough to change. The doorbell rang again as I trudged down the hallway.

"Just a second!" I called, finally reaching the door. As usual, I stood to the side, against the wall, and listened for a moment before leaning over to look through the peephole. I jumped at who I saw there, and took a step back. He rang the doorbell again impatiently, and I ran a panicked hand through my hair. I really should have changed.

"Heero, it's me. Open up," Duo called, his voice muffled by the door. I took a deep breath, slowly sliding the deadbolt open, and turning the knob to open the door.

"Heero," he panted as though he'd been running a great distance. He was dripping wet and shaking with cold. I glanced at the window in the living room. How long had it been raining?

"Duo, what's wrong?" I asked. He slouched against the doorjam, closing his eyes.

"I really didn't think this through," he said.

"Come inside," I said, pulling him in by the front of his wet jacket and shutting the door. "Duo, you're soaking wet in the middle of January, are you crazy?"

"It's possible," he answered, peeling off the jacket at my indication. I moved to take it from him, but he grabbed my hand, searching in the coat's pocket for something as I held it up. He released me, simultaneously offering me a plump bundle of soggy red fabric.

"Duo... is this?"

"I forgot to return it," he apologized. I slowly took the scarf back from him, water running down my arm.

"You didn't come all this way just for this?" I asked, incredulous. His eyes didn't seem to have much direction, roaming around the area where I was standing.

"I really did not think this through," he repeated. I frowned.

"Which is why you're dripping all over my carpet," I said.

"It just started raining, while I was running..." he said. I waited for him to actually explain, and became slowly more and more irritated as he didn't.

"I don't care," I finally said, glaring, "You're shaking like a dog. You'll end up with hypothermia if you stay like this." I moved to pull the shirt off his seemingly inept body, but he stopped me.

"Don't," he said quietly. I pulled away, pulling an anxious hand through my hair.

"You're getting married tomorrow. Do you really want to die before then?" I snapped.

"Heero," he groaned helplessly, "I fucking hate it when you're like this. Would you just..." he sighed. I groaned in frustration.

"What? What else can I do to make you happy?" I ground my palm into my forehead. "I don't care, Duo. Get hypothermia and die, just don't do it in front of me."

"Heero..."

"Stop," I growled, "Stop saying my name like that. Just tell me what's going on." I sighed in defeat, and looked back up at him. He looked menacing, all the hair around his face plastered to his skin, staring back at me with the deepest frown I'd ever seen. But, this time, his eyes were as bright blue as they'd ever been. With sudden urgency, he wrenched a gold band that I hadn't noticed off his finger, and flung it furiously across the room.

"First of all, that thing never fit me, and it was ugly," he seethed. "Second of all, I knew I didn't want to get married, and shouldn't get married to Hilde, who--"

"Duo--"

"WHO is still just as crazy as everyone else I've ever dated, despite my hope that she would become less crazy eventually. And third, you are the most enormously infuriating--God, I could just rip you limb from limb sometimes!" he yelled, his hands raised in demonstrative claws. I bit my tongue, and he sighed. "You... really piss me off," he said. I opened my mouth, and closed it again.

"You're an asshole," I finally murmured. He sighed.

"I know," he agreed quietly. "I told you I hadn't really thought this through." I hesitated before finally concluding that all the chips were on the table, for better or for worse.

"It's okay," I sighed, "I haven't been thinking all day. Thinking just takes you to the wrong places, places where other people are getting married and you've got to go to their wedding and try not to kill anyone because you're so damn angry at yourself for causing such a happy thing as a marriage which results in everyone else involved living happily ever after in domestic bliss. Or something." Duo laughed.

"I can tell you haven't thought about this at all," he said.

"Well, try having Wufei and Sally and Trowa and Quatre hovering around you all day every day for over a month. Not to mention your dog chewing through everything you ever spent a significant amount of money on. And, the first time you decide to take a day off, they all start calling you--" Just on time, the phone rang, interrupting me.

"See what I mean?" I asked. He laughed, reaching over and picking up the phone before I could stop him.

"Grand Central Station," he said smoothly.

"Yamero!" Wufei's unmistakeable voice screeched from the speaker, and Duo pulled it away from his head with a grimace, pushing the button for speakerphone so he could hang up. "I'm done playing this game, you fool! I--"

"Wufei!" Quatre pleaded in the background.

"Quiet, you!" Wufei screeched again. "No more will I be party to this! Yuy, no one has been fooled by your collected, callous exterior. It is obvious that you two idiots deserve one another. If you let that moron Maxwell go through with this ridiculous wedding I will not only fire you, I will flay you slowly with the edge of a dull wooden spoon. Then, I will use your flesh for dumplings and your bones for--"

"Wufei! WUFEI!" Duo objected, screaming. "Please, man, I can't take any more. Will you please stop with the imagery? I mean, my God, how did you ever convince a sweet girl like Sally Po to go on a date with you? Sicko."

"Excuse me, I'll have you know--Maxwell! Maxwell, what are you doing there--itai!" There was the sound of a struggle on the end of the line, and a pause.

"Thanks Trowa," Quatre muttered, "Sorry, uh, Duo. Heero?"

"Hi," I joined in lamely.

"Right..." Quatre said. "Well, you two--" With a beep, Duo hung up.

"Sorry, you didn't really want to talk to them, did you? I think the interesting part was over," he asked me with a grin.

"No thanks. I got the message," I assented.

"Yeah, about that..." We both paused, our eyes shifting around one another, unsure of our next move.

"Shit, it's cold!" Duo suddenly exclaimed, rubbing his arms vigorously for effect. I raised an eyebrow at him. "You know, if I don't change pretty soon here it could be bad for my health..." he added. I smiled.

"Subtle," I said.

"Should I say it more clearly?" he asked without looking at me, attempting to wring some of the water out of his dripping braid.

"Un," I noised with interest.

"If someone doesn't help me out of these clothes in the immediate future, I might be headed for hypothermia," he revised, showering the floor with yet more water.

"Well..." I said, not quite satisfied, "Maybe we should call a doctor." He stopped what he was doing and turned back to me.

"Not clear enough?" he asked.

"Somewhat ambiguous," I graded. He hesitated, thinking up his next line.

"Heero?"

"Hm?" I asked, suppressing my smile. Slowly, he leaned toward me with a lazy grin, and put his frozen fingers to my neck, raising every hair on my body.

"If you don't undress me right now, I'll die," he murmured, his lips brushing my ear, his hair dripping on my shoulder. He was still shaking, even as his words were steady.

"Wakata," I mumbled, pushing his shirt up and slowly pulling it over his head. I tossed it away and he walked into me, pushing me back into the living room until my legs met the couch.

"I love it when you speak japanese," he whispered, the feel of his cold flesh making me shiver.

"I love you," I countered. He froze, and I looked up to see him smiling with a tenderness that was breathtaking.

"If you didn't, then I shouldn't have left Hilde alone in my house where she could smash all of my valuables to make up for the fact that I dumped her due to no fault of her own," he said.

"I thought you didn't want to marry her because she was crazy?" I asked, gently pulling the tie off the end of his braid.

"I did," he said, running his lips against my jaw. I sighed.

"Say it or show it, I don't care. Just don't keep me waiting," I said, pulling back to I could see his face. He was still smiling.

"I love you," he growled, "Okay?"

"Never mind," I groaned, "Just kiss me. You're not any good at talking."

Taking my comment to heart, he finally pressed his lips to my own, both our mouths open slightly and waiting for the slick, sweet, soft thing that was our first kiss.

* * *

I never wanted stop kissing him. I mean, some of the things that we could do besides kissing were pretty fantastic, especially with enough sexual tension stored up between us to blow up a ten story brick building. But, there was something about kissing Duo, and being kissed by Duo, wether it was roughly or reverently, that felt like nothing else existed but the movements of our mouths, and the proximity and sensation of them.

There was a loud, wild scratching sound and piercing whine from the other side of the bedroom door, and Duo pulled away.

"Are you sure he's okay?" he asked, glancing at the door and back at me. "It sounds like he's trying to climb up the door." I lifted myself up on my elbows with a sigh.

"You know, he was very independent when we first met, but now I can't get him to leave me alone," I joked.

"Why'd you adopt him, then?" Duo asked.

"I don't know," I said, looking at the door. Akuma had paused in his whining upon hearing our voices. "I guess it was just fate." I turned back to Duo and he was suddenly kissing me again, pressing me back onto the mattress and running his hands up my forearms.

Akuma scratched again, and barked. Duo pulled away again with a frustrated sigh.

"This is not working," he growled at the door, narrowing his eyes. "Nobody barks at the God of Death."

"It's just because he doesn't know you. He's protective," I explained, rubbing my knee up Duo's bare side in an attempt to distract him. I'd been around the devil dog long enough to be able to easily ignore his whines for attention.

"Fine," Duo grunted, rolling away to jump off the bed. I sat up as he pulled on his briefs.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"If he's your dog, he's my dog," Duo said, moving to the door.

"Really, Duo, he can take care of himself," I protested.

He slowly looked around at me, his expression one of disapproving disbelief.

"He's a dog," Duo said as if I didn't already know. I raised an eyebrow, and he rolled his eyes.

"Just follow my lead, here," he said. I nodded in compliance, and folded my hands in my comforter-covered lap. He turned back to the door, and slowly turned the knob.

He was almost knocked down as Akuma sprinted into the room, leaping onto the bed like a streak of blonde lightning so he could jump on me and lick my face wildly.

"Down boy!" I said, pushing him firmly away until he was sitting obediently at the end of the bed, wagging his tail. I sighed.

"Yo!" Duo exlaimed, "He's like, the fastest dog of all time!" He was grinning, seeming genuinely impressed. He moved to get closer, and Akuma growled.

"Well, excuse me, Monsieur Pompadour," Duo jeered, coming even closer. Akuma continued to growl.

"I'm curious to see what your plan is," I commented, not offering any assistance, since I hadn't supported this operation to begin with.

"Hey, we're all scrappy strays here," Duo said, offering his hand to the dog, to which Akuma responded by biting him. He didn't hold on, just gave him a quick snap, but it was enough to draw blood. I reached out to grab Akuma's collar, but Duo was ahead of me with a sharp blow to his big black nose.

"Uncool, kid," Duo scolded. Akuma whined and buried his face in the comforter. Sometimes I forgot that he was just a puppy.

"I guess that's one way..." I said, reaching over to give Akuma a sympathetic pat on the head. He glanced up at me before looking back toward Duo, who gingerly sat to his other side so he could run a hand through his thick fur.

"He's cute," Duo said approvingly. After a moment, Akuma lifted his head to give Duo's hand a submissive lick.

"Let me see your hand," I said, moving closer to both of them so Duo could show me his wound. I turned it slightly to get a better look.

"What's the prognosis?" he asked cheerfully.

"You're an idiot," I said.

"Excuse me?" he asked, taken aback.

"Isn't it about time you got on the phone with Lady Une and begged her to tear up your resignation?" I asked.

"Heero..."

"Knowing her, she didn't even file it. In fact, you're probably on record as being on leave right now. Not that she won't make you beg," I explained.

"...Really?" His hand was barely more than scratched, but I held on to it anyway, looking back at him.

"Obviously," I smirked.

"Arrogant bastard," he grinned.

"There's more than one reason that you're an idiot, though," I added.

"What?" he groaned dramatically, "Like what?"

"First of all, don't go running in the rain when you have that much hair. I don't know how you fend off illness on a daily basis."

"You--" he protested.

"But, most importantly, you let the dog in before my day off was over. Now that you're best of friends, go put him back in the other room."

"Why? He's fine now," Duo said, looking down at Akuma. In response, I pulled him to me by the hand I still held.

"Sex, you fool," I murmured into his mouth. He automatically kissed me back.

"Oh," he mumbled.

"The phone's off the hook and you're not getting married, so why is Akuma staring up at me when the only one staring should be you?" I growled. He looked over to see what I meant, and found Akuma staring at us, unmoving. It was unusually creepy.

"Right," he said, getting out of bed and beckoning to the puppy. "Let's go, kid," he encouraged until Akuma finally followed him out of the room. I watched them go with a grin. If it always ended this well, I would happily get punched a million times over.


End file.
